So the gamble had not worked. An entire reconnaissance battalion had been utterly destroyed, down to the last man and vehicle. Along with it more than a third of the division had become casualties, mostly with damaged vision and lung injuries from the over-pressure. Many armoured vehicles were immobilised by ruined electrics and blocked engine filters. Seven of the precious self-propelled guns had been wrecked and others partially buried or over-turned. The remaining troops were going nowhere. A few might trickle back but most could only wait until they were mopped up by NATO forces or if they held out, eventually destroyed by air strikes or artillery fire.
No provision had been made for recovery of battle damaged vehicles or wounded men. They were as much a loss as though they had been killed or burned out. Many of the survivors would die over the next few weeks, from the massive doses of radiation they had absorbed. Better the British, Americans and West Germans should nurse them rather than clutter his resources. But overall the cost was not too high. The men had been quite expendable and their equipment was just a drop in the ocean. The refugees, he hardly gave them a thought. They had served a slight purpose in the opening moves of the assault but beyond that they had no value.
Without further thought he ticked boxes and scrawled a signature on the returns his clerk had left for him. The figure for the losses among the infantry were likely about right. The number of armoured vehicles was more exact but that could eventually be modified if an effort was made to bring in crocks from the battlefield.
There was no figure for the dead among the refugees, it didn’t matter. They were of no consequence. There would always be more when he needed them.
A dark haired woman carrying a child limped into Bayreuth, making her way towards an aid station that flew a large Red Cross flag. She paused on the bridge to move the child to a more comfortable position before going on. As she did she felt the bulk of the mobile phone in her pocket.
She took it out and looked at it. Stepping between two corpses and avoiding the debris littering the road surface around a gutted armoured car she crossed to the parapet. Slowly, deliberately, she dropped it in to the water.
THE ZONE Series by James Rouch:
HARD TARGET
BLIND FIRE
HUNTER-KILLER
SKY STRIKE
OVERKILL
KILLING GROUND
PLAGUE BOMB
CIVILIAN SLAUGHTER
BODY COUNT
DEATH MARCH
Copyright
Copyright © 2007 by James Rouch
An Imprint Original Publication, 2007
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without permission of the publishers.
First E-Book Edition 2007
Second IMRPINT April 2007
The characters in this book are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to living persons is purely coincidental.
THE ZONE
THE ZONE E-Books are published by
IMPRINT Publications, 3 Magpie Court
High Wycombe, WA 6057. AUSTRALIA.
Produced under licence from the Author, all rights reserved. Created in Australia by Ian Taylor © 2005